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Duane Sampson -> RE:Culpepper (8/3/2007 1:44:37 PM)
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Davis sees some Plunkett in Culpepper By DAVID WHITE San Francisco Chronicle Thursday, August 02, 2007 Raiders owner Al Davis took one look at Daunte Culpepper, and into the time machine he flew, all the way to 1980 when he said his Oakland team was picked to finish last and Jim Plunkett was in dire need of reclamation. "The only thing I can say about Culpepper right now is he takes me back several years," Davis said Wednesday. "He had great years, just never had a chance. Jim Plunkett never had a chance where he was. That was unfair." Plunkett came off the bench and led the Raiders to a Super Bowl victory that year and won the game's MVP award. What Davis would give for Culpepper to capture a sliver of that comeback success this season, especially in the shadow of the worst four-year stretch in franchise history. Granted, the Raiders are more than one player away from turning around their program. By signing Culpepper to a one-year contract worth $3.2 million, they showed they are willing to try anything at this point -- even if it means bringing in a quarterback who's had two major knee surgeries in less than two years. "Any time you're a great competitor and people doubt you, its absolute fuel to overcome whatever they're saying or shut them up in a sense," Culpepper said. Well, here's his chance and if it works, Davis looks like a genius circa 1980 again. To think, none of this likely would have happened if No. 1 overall draft pick JaMarcus Russell -- often described as a young Culpepper -- was signed and in camp by now. The LSU quarterback is still sitting out, Davis said, because his agents wants all the guaranteed money (up to $30 million) to be an option bonus. The Raiders want nothing to do with that after a recent grievance ruling deemed option bonuses to be nonrefundable in many cases. "I will not do that," Davis said. He will, however, give a one-year deal to a veteran quarterback whose last healthy season was in 2004, when Culpepper threw for 4,717 yards and 39 touchdowns with Randy Moss and the Minnesota Vikings. The Raiders haven't had those sorts of quarterback numbers since Rich Gannon was the league MVP in 2002, and yes, Culpepper also reminds Davis of Gannon. "We've always had a lot of quarterbacks around," Davis said. "In recent years, we stopped that. And then, the minute somebody gets hurt, we've found ourselves in trouble. Daunte was a great talent. Whether he can get it back or not, it's worth the chance." That was the case in 2003 and '04, when Gannon was lost for each season with injuries. Same thing last year, when Aaron Brooks was hurt in the second game and the Raiders offense never got going. Culpepper said all is well with his knee, and that he has no intention to sit behind Russell, Josh McCown or Andrew Walter on the depth chart. He took about five snaps in 11-on-11 drills Wednesday morning, throwing two passes and fumbling a snap exchange. Coach Lane Kiffin said Culpepper would be worked in slowly while he learns the new playbook, and that he eventually will get equal snaps with Walter and McCown. That's called getting a chance, something the Dolphins weren't willing to offer after Culpepper passed a physical in the offseason. They traded for former Chiefs quarterback Trent Green and released Culpepper two weeks ago. That's another Davis reminder of Plunkett, who was discarded by the 49ers before he joined the Raiders. "It's very refreshing to know that I got a chance to come in and play and contribute to a great team," Culpepper said. "Coach Kiffin and his staff are very, very keen on being successful and they let me know that off the top." All this has Davis smiling, ready to relive the past all over again. "Lane made the final decision," Davis said, "but I wanted it to happen. I like to take chances like that." (E-mail David White at dwhite@sfchronicle.com.)
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